Adherents.com: Religious Groups in Literature

34,420 citations from literature (mostly science fiction and fantasy) referring to real churches, religious groups, tribes, etc. [This database is for literary research only. It is not intended as a source of information about religion.]

witch, continued...

Group

Where

Year

Source

Quote/Notes

witch

Discworld

1997

Pratchett, Terry. Maskerade. New York: HarperCollins (1998; c. 1997)

[Book jacket] "What better way to flush out a ghost than with a witch? Enter the Opera's newest diva, Perdita X. Nitt, a wannabe witch with such an astonishing range that she can sing harmony with herself. And does. " [Many refs., not in DB.]

witch

Egypt

1810

Powers, Tim. The Anubis Gates. New York: Ace (1983); pg. 10.

"They had met him in the huge chamber in which he lived, alone except for his ushabtis, four life-size wax statues of men. From his peculiar ceiling perch he had begun by pointing out that Christianity, the harsh sun that had steamed the life-juices out of the now all but dry husk of sorcery, was at present veiled by clouds of doubt arising from the writings of people like Voltaire and Diderot and Godwin.

Romanelli, as impatient with the antique magician's extended metaphors as he was with most things, broke in to ask bluntly how all this might aid in evicting the British from Egypt.

'There is a magical procedure--' the Master began.

'Magic!' Romanelli had interrupted, as scornfully as he dared. 'These days we'd get headaches and double vision--not to mention losing about five pounds--if we tried to charm a pack of street dogs out of the way; and even then as likely as not it'd go awry and they'd all simply drop dead...' "

Pg. 17: Ashake: "Do not fear. The guards are now chasing false images I cast of you. They've no idea you are here. "; Pg. 18: "Like you, Illyana, I walk the shadow path. When I sensed your kindred soul tumbling along the timerace, I drew you to me. That same sorcery taught me your tongue. "

[1] "And the snow was still heavy on the ground when he again entered the castle and climbed the long and narrow stairway to the tower room where the wizard lived.

'Go away,' said the wizard, when Bork knocked at his door. 'I'm busy.'

'I'll wait,' Bork answered.

'Suit yourself.'

And Bork waited. It was late at night when the wizard finally opened the door. Bork had fallen asleep leaning on it--he nearly knocked the magician over when he fell inside.

'What the devil are you--you waited!'

'Yes,' said Bork, rubbing his head where it had hit the stone floor.

'Well, I'll be back in a moment.' The wizard made his way along a narrow ledge until he reached the place where the wall bulged and a hole opened onto the outside of the castle wall. In wartime, such holes were used to pour boiling oil on attackers. In peacetime, they were even more heavily used. 'Go on inside and wait,' the wizard said. "

[2] "Bork looked around the room. It was spotlessly clean, the walls were lined with books, and here and there a fascinating artifact hinted at hidden knowledge and arcane powers--a sphere with the world on it, a skull, an abacus, beakers & tubes, a clay pot from which smoke rose, though there was no fire under it. Bork marveled until the wizard returned.

[3] "But Bork put the dipper in the pail and drank. The water sloshed into his mouth, and he swallowed, but it felt dry going down, and his thirst was unslaked. 'What's wrong with the water?' Bork asked.

The wizard sighed and sat down. 'It's the problem with magic, Bork old boy. Why do you think the King doesn't call on me to help me in his wars? He knows it, and now you'll know it, and the whole world probably will know it by Thursday.'

'You don't know any magic?'

'Don't be a fool! I know al the magic there is! I can conjure up monsters that would make your dragon took tame! I can snap my fingers and have a table set with food to make the cook die of envy...' " [Many more refs., not in DB.]

witch

Europe

1366 C.E.

Dickson, Gordon R. The Dragon and The Gnarly King. New York: Tor (1997)

[Book jacket] "Now, Dickson returns to the series with a new and exciting tale of sorcery and chivalry. Eckert's daring exploits have earned him a title--Baron de Bois de Malencontri et Riveroak--and he has settled down to a peaceful life as a feudal lord... But a new peril endangers his enchanted realm as the King of the Gnarlies teams up with the Earl of Cumberland, Jim's longtime rival, to kidnap his adopted son, Robert. Soon Sir Jim must assume the shape of the Dragon Knight once again to rescue little Robert, and he then finds himself entrenched in a magical battle royal--one he'll have to fight harder than ever to survive. " [Magic/sorcery refs. throughout novel, not in DB.]

Pg. 321: "'But you did sponsor her introduction to the Court,' said Jim. 'And I was thinking more of rumors about you having no choice about doing that, because you were involved in Witchery yourself.' ";

Pg. 333: "But the crowd had found a single word in common, finally, and they were now chanting at him in unison. . . .

"The proprietor's shadow moved between them. 'Do you know the magician's theater where a volunteer who is the magician's assistant pretends innocence to secretly help the sorcerer, eh? And the name of such assistants? Shill. So, seated with a proper wine and your audience beyond the window, I now dub thee . . .'

Pg. 297: "'I need a representative on the rim. It's been a long time since I've had one, because I demand a lot. I can give you certain powers. You'll define your job, pick your hours and companions, see the world. You'll get some help from me, but little interference.

'How would you like to be a Wizard?' ";

Pg. 302: "'A 'Wizard,' she called it. She tends to the romantic. You'd probably like her; she likes science fiction, too.' "

"Then Yoda appeared on the video, gazing up at the throne. His color was more vibrantly green than Luke remembered, and he did not use his walking stick. At middle age, Yoda had looked almost perky, carefree--not the bent, troubled old Jedi Luke had known. Most of the audio was erased, but through the background hiss Yoda clearly said, 'We tried to free the Chu'unthor from Dathomir, but were repulsed by the witches . . . skirmish, with Masters Gra'aton and Vulatan. . . . Fourteen acolytes killed . . . go back to retrieve . . .' The audio hissed away, and soon the holo image dissolved to blue static with popping lights. "

"Winds pounded in his [Luke's] ears like the roar of an ocean, howling. If was as if a storm of pure dark Force raged over the countryside, and suddenly, amid the towering clouds of darkness that thundered toward him, Luke could hear laughing, the sweet sound of women laughing. He looked above into the dark clouds, and saw the women borne through the air along with the rocks and debris, like motes of dust, laughing. A voice seemed to whisper, 'the witches of Dathomir.' "

Pg. 184: "'Mara Jade rubbed her eyes with a quick gesture, and that seemed to take care of any residual sleepiness, as if she'd clicked off a switch. 'I must look like one of the Nightsisters of Dathomir. What time is it where you are? What's up?...' "; Pg. 226: "He thought about Kyp Durron, his own finest student... About Teneniel of Dathomir... "

"To one side of the pyramid he saw a newly laid flagstone courtyard. Across it, at the base of the stone structure, a darkened entrance stood open. Imagining what sort of fearful sorcerous exercises the Jedi students performed there, he stepped cautiously into the courtyard. " [Also, this novel has multiple refs. to the Nightsisters, which were the evil Force-wielding witches of Dathomir first introduced in Wolverton's The Courtship of Princess Leia.]

witch

galaxy

-4990 B.C.E.

Weis, Margaret & Tracy Hickman. Elven Star. New York: Bantam (1990)

[Book jacket] "Long ago, mighty magic-users divided their world into four realms, separating the peoples, obliterating history, planting the seeds of chaos and warfare... " [Many refs. to sorcerers, magic, etc. throughout novel, not in DB.]

"Do you have the courage to stay? the dog seemed to ask in exasperation. Do you have the courage to face the Lord of the Nexus?

Haplo's lord--a powerful Patryn wizard. No fainting spell would save Alfred from this terrible man. The lord would prod and probe and drag forth ever secret the Sartan had in his being. Torture, torment, lasting for as long as the Sartan remained alive... " [Many other refs. to wizards, magic, etc., not in DB.]

"Hugh glanced at Alred, then at Marit. Hugh had seen the Patryn healers at work; he knew what it entailed Marit would have to concentrate all her magical power on Alfred. She would have to draw his injuries into herself, release her life-giving energy to him. For long moments, she would be as incapacitated as he was. When the healing process was concluded, both of them would be weak. "

"Chaos swirled around him. Alfred stood, terrified, in the center of a storm of magic. Howling winds buffeted him, slammed him back against the wall, breaking his bones. Crashing waves washed over him...

'A single drop, though it falls into an ocean, will yet cause a ripple. I need all of you! Don't give up. The magic!' Samah was shouting to be heard over the tumult. 'Use the magic or none of us will survive!'

The magic drifted toward Alfred like a bit of flotsam on a storm-tossed sea. He saw hands reaching out for it, saw some grasp it, saw others miss and disappear. He made a desperate grab.

His fingers closed over something solid. The noise and terror subsided for an instant, and he saw the world--whole, beautiful, shining blue-green in the blackness of space. He must break the world, or the power of the chaotic magic would break him. "

"But at the height of the storm's fury, human mysteriarchs--high-ranking wizards of the Seventh House--arrived and, with their magical ability to exert control over the natural elements, did much to protect the elves. Damage was kept to a minimum and injuries were minor. Most important, this unasked-for and unlooked-for aid did much to ease tensions between former bitter enemies. "

"One of his pointed ears jutted out from under his turbulent turban. And while all Graygills had large ear, even they would have said the astronomer had very large ears.

Krepel was as close to being a wizard as Estermann would ever come. He was old, for one thing, and could remember the days before the siege of Maldoon. Yet his brow was smooth and would have made him seem quite young, perhaps less than a thousand years. " [Other refs. to magic in book, not in DB.]

"'One: I am of that race your People call variously elves, demons, witches or simply Evil Ones. Some few facts of our existence, though, much fancified, weave themselves through your lays of Faerie and OtherWhere, suggesting that perhaps some of our kind have passed this way before, in less than careful guise.' "

"Rare was the crossroads that did not sport a gallows, wheel, or gibbet whereon, frequently denied burial and left to predators, hung the broken remains of those who had transgressed one of many and often incomprehensible laws.

There were also the witch-pyres: circles of burnt brushwood, a charred stake, a pile of cracked and blistered bones, sometimes a surviving scrap of cloth...

'On'y womenfolk is burnt for witches!' Argetha informed me with a warning glance. " [Some other refs., incl. pg. 80. Apparently the People consider the Others to be witches.]

Pg. 285: "That would also go a long way toward explaining the ayatollahs' unshakable faith in the validity of magic. In their world, 'magical' effects were commonplace. ";

Pg. 288: "'What you call magic,' Nixie supplied. 'The bolts of energy that some adepts could project at will. The ability of some to levitate themselves and other objects up off the ground.' " [Many other refs., not in DB.]

witch

galaxy

2030

Hogan, James P. Entoverse. New York: Ballantine (1991); pg. 285.

"That would also go a long way toward explaining the ayatollahs' unshakable faith in the validity of magic. In their world, 'magical' effects were commonplace. "

"'...This Sorcerer was a dangerous man. One time when someone insulted him he made a spell that turned everyone's heads backwards... Some felt the Sorcerer had held out hope that the Princess might yet live on...' " [Other refs., not in DB. Part of a fantasy story told to a child.[

'Pertaining to magic,' the computer said, 'which is the art of exercising occult control over natural forces and events. It could also be used to describe tricks and illusions designed to have the appearance of magic.'

"'Captain, I know of no Earth proverb concerning the dropping of houses.'

Kirk smiled and said, 'Tell him, Uhura.'

'It's not a proverb, Mr. Spock. The captain was referring to a classic children's novel called The Wizard of Oz. In it the heroine arrives in a fantasy world aboard her farmhouse, which falls out of the sky onto a wicket witch.' "

"'The Heart's exact nature is unknown, and its origins are lost in antiquity; all that survives are tales of its passage through different cultures. In the mythologies T'Sara collected, the Heart has been variously described as a stone, a jewel, even an energy cell. One hypothesis is that the Heart is an artifact of some ancient and forgotten race, one highly advanced in science.' His brother Robert's voice whispered another explanation in his ear. 'But worlds which believe in magic consider it to be a powerful talisman of Darkness.'

'A talisman of darkness?' snorted Riker. 'With the power to do just what?' " [More.]

"James Kirk wrote an autobiography, you know. Much of it was dismissed by critics as a collection of tall tales. Some believed that Kirk had a penchant for exaggerating. Outrageous stories of planets of sorcery, or confrontations with Greek gods or Abraham Lincoln... "

"'I don't believe in magic,' Janeway told them. 'There's obviously some bizarre science at work here... Once upon a time... people thought fire was of the gods. We thought the stars were heaven... We learned there's no true alchemy, no 'magic' that can't be mastered eventually, but just science that we haven't figured out yet.' "

"There had to be some sort of scientific explanation. A person couldn't just command the weather through sheer force of will. It was more magic than science. . . .

Then again . . . what was extrasensory perception, or telekinesis, or empathy, except phenomena that would have once been ascribed to magic? On old Earth, they had burned anyone who displayed such tendencies, accusing them of being in league with dark or evil spirits. Scientists hadn't really managed to break down such talents into 'nonmagic' terms, but instead had simply given them a different name and proclaimed--having done so--that they were not the province of science rather than sorcery. But just saying it doesn't make it so. Perhaps science, in the final analyses, was simply magic with delusions of grandeur. "

"Schools in Witchcraft were also in evidence on a few planets, but not as popular as they used to be with the new spoilsport galactic regulations forbidding sacrifice, human or alien. Most of the co-called 'old religion' establishments were now more cultural than magical in nature. Of course, there were stories of unexplained disappearances, but none had been directly linked to known witchcraft universities. There was one planet said to 'overlook' many of the regulations, but it was not a member of the Galactic League and therefore not open for visitation by the general public. "

"Within the circle of healing arts were White Witches, herbalists, yogis, visualists, color therapists, mentalists, experts in all fields of meditation, and psychics. Medical men often relied upon the mystical powers of these healers as backup for harmonizing the physical and mental balance of their patients. The mind/body connection was an established fact, and often was the thin line between death and recovery. MD stood as often for Magical as Medical Doctor. No longer were such ideas or their proponents considered to be lunatics. It was an era of free belief. "

"She had forgotten about the other part of the Rapunzel story. A bent old hag in a long, black cloak stood gazing up at her. A witch.

What to do? If she didn't go along, the witch could suspect something. She couldn't afford to distort this reality yet. Best to play along and see... Suddenly, the witch's ugly face was at the window, her long nose twitching over toothless lips... " [More.]

witch

galaxy

2500

Leigh, Stephen. Dark Water's Embrace. New York: Avon (1998); pg. 128.

Pg. 127: "I sat down on the frosted pile of shredded peat I'd accumulated and watched a flight of wizards flap noisily from the trees... "; Pg. 128: "I don't know who first collapsed the words 'winged lizards' into 'wizards,' but it's certainly lent me a strange image whenever I read old fantasy novels " [More about 'wizards']

"'Look around. That tree over there, branches and leaves forming suggestive shadows against the sky. That's a wizard, isn't it? Gandalf the Gray come to save you? Or shall we run screaming from some creature of Cthulhu? "

"These stunted but tenacious trees grew only in the firelands and the dragon's blood crystals, like amber, were known to have great healing properties when handled by a wizard... Vargo assumed that she was referring to wizards, and did not interrupt. " [Some other refs. to magic, wizards, mages, etc. not in DB.]

witch

galaxy

4000

Gilman, Carolyn Ives. Halfway Human. New York: Avon Books (1998)

[Book jacket] "Tedla is young, beautiful, and blond--but it is neither he nor she. And Tedla has a remarkable story to tell of witchcraft, lust, and rebellion on a far-of world which has taken its own evolutionary path. " [Despite being mentioned on the back cover, there appear to be no use of the word 'witchcraft' inside the novel.]

Pg. 72: "The intelligence officer had been here aboard the command battlecruiser Sorcerer when the attack had begun... " [Some other refs. to this ship.]; Pg. 604: a starship named Wizard

witch

galaxy

13560

Herbert, Frank. Dune Messiah. New York: Ace (1987; c. 1969); pg. 110.

Pg. 110: "...stare at the keepsakes and holy amulets on the street vendors' racks, some consulting one last minor sorcerer. "; Pg. 121: "He was hung on a rack of enchantment. Magic! Magic! To glimpse the future was to steal terrifying fire from a sacred flame... His Queen Witch and Sorcerer Friend betrayed dangerous weaknesses. "; Pg. 215: "Alia was a child witch, but she was growing older. And he thought: Growing older is to grow more wicked. "

witch

galaxy

13575

Herbert, Frank. Children of Dune. New York: Berkley (1976); pg. 12.

"Would she sense Stilgar's doubts? She was a Bene Gesserit witch, graduate of the Sisterhood's deepest training, and a Reverend Mother in her own right. Such females were acute and they were dangerous. Would she order him to fall upon his own knife as the Umma-Protector of Liet-Kynes had been ordered? " [Extensive refs., not in DB, to the Bene Gesserit, but few, maybe just one, other refs. to them as 'witches.']

Pg. 178: "'the whores might like to learn that they have had Face Dancers among them.'

Waff suppressed his anger. These damnable witches! They knew! Somehow, they knew!... The witches were so . . . so devilish. "; Pg. 179: "The potential of this tool was enormous! Must that be shared with these witches?... You could never be sure when it came to the Bene Gesserit witches. They did things. The dark side of the magic universe belonged to them. On more than one occasion the witches had blunted the Shariat. Was it God's will that the true believers pass through another trial? " [Some other refs., not in DB.]

"She tried to ignore the sorceress called Sybyl, who claimed to be her creator... What then might they not do to this sorceress Sybyl--who, like her, dwelt among men, wore men's attire, and claimed for herself powers that eclipsed those of the Creator Himself?

"'...He said that this Hari Seldon had attended a convention of mathematicians held here in Trantor... and he said that he had proved that one could foretell the future mathematically.'

Demerzel permitted himself a small smile. 'Either the Minister of Science, a man of little acumen, is mistaken or the mathematician is. Surely, the matter of foretelling the future is a children's dream of magic.'

'Is it, Demerzel? People believe in such things.'

'People believe in many things, Sire.'

'But they believe in such things. Therefore, it doesn't matter whether the forecast of the future is true or not...' "

"'This is really beautiful,' Anakin said. 'The air smells great, and the jungle is wizard.' "

witch

Georgia: Atlanta

2004

Bishop, Michael. Catacomb Years. New York: Berkley (1979); pg. 41.

Pg. 41: Chapter title: "The Witch of Tooth Decay "; Pg. 43-44: "The main title came up. In fancy longhand. The Dental Institute of America Presents . . . Your Teeth and the Witch of Tooth Decay. Trumpets and drums rattled from the speakers. The film jitterbugged on the screen. " [More, pg. 44-46.]

witch

Georgia: Atlanta

2040

Bishop, Michael. Catacomb Years. New York: Berkley (1979); pg. 87.

"'...Up against you I look like the . . . the Wicked Witch of the North.' Which was a Glinda-the-Good lie if she'd ever told one. "

witch

Greece

-445 B.C.E.

Vidal, Gore. Creation. New York: Random House (1981); pg. 70.

"The cult of Orpheus has always been popular in the back country, particularly in witch-haunted Thrace. Lately the cult has started to spread throughout the Greek world. From what little I know of Orphism, I should think that it is nothing more than a coarse variation on the beautiful and truly ancient legend of the hero of Gilgamesh... " [Other refs., not in DB.]

witch

Greece: Crete

1997

Preuss, Paul. Secret Passages. New York: Tor (1997); pg. 89.

"'That one is the devil himself.' Dimitris glared at the newcomer, his voice rising. 'His grandmother is the witch who made my brother blind.'

'That is ignorant, un-Christian superstition. You may not say such things in this room' "

"The norteamericano women with whom he slept always asked lots of questions about the old ones. They seemed to think that he should have the knowledge of a brujo [witch] just because his was an Indian. "

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